Sign.



No. 646,I|3. PatentedMar. 27, |900.

F. TUCHFABBER.

SIGN.

(Application filed Dec. 7, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet l.

a, 1 7 i Fig. Z 7

Z "1 1 2 2 1 J 11 \n d j] no: nanars versus cn. Puntoumc.. wsumumw. n.r,

F. TUCHFARBEH.

No. 646,1I3.

Patented Mar. 27, |900.

' SIGN.

(Application led Dec. 7l 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

n: Nomus PETERS oo. morouwo.. wAsHmmon. c:v r..

NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

FRANK TUCHFARBER, or CINCINNATI, oI-IIo.

SIGNr SPECIFICATION forming part ofV Letters Patent N o. 646,1 13, datedMarch 27, 1900,

Application filed December 7,1899. Serial No. 739,486. (ll'ornodel.)

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK TUCHFARBER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton andState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSigns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in signs, and especiallyin luminous signs, wherein a lighting device may be employed forilluminating the transparent or translucent surfaces of the sign, so asto make the sign visible after dark; and the object of the invention isto provide a sign of this general character which shall be of a simpleand inexpensive construction and shall be capable of being read bypersons approaching either from opposite sides or from the front of thesign.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction,combination, and arrangement of the several parts of the improved sign,whereby certain important advantages are attained and the sign is madesimpler, cheaper, and otherwise better adapted for use, all as will behereinafter fully set forth.

The novel features of theinvention will becarefully defined intheclaims.'

In the accompanying drawings, which serve to illustrate my invention,Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved sign,- and'Fig. 2 is afront view thereof. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the improved sign.Fig. 4 is a section taken vertically through the sign in the planeindicated by the line a a in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an under side view oftheimproved sign. Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse section showing thelower part of the sign,`the plane of the section being indicated by linec c in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6, but showing the upperpart ofthe sign, the plane of the section being indicated by the line bb in Fig. 2 Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view takenvertically through the upper part of the sign in the plane indicated bythe line d d in Fig. 4. Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary section takenthrough the lower part of the sign and also in the plane indicated bythe line d d in Fig. 4.

As shown in the drawings, the bodyvof the sign is formed of two sideportions or frames 1.1, arranged at angles to each other and convergingtoward their front edges, where they are in contact and are securedtogether by screws 2 or the like, and being spaced apart at their rearedges, so-as to give to the signbody a general triangular form incross-section, as clearly shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. The inner surfacesof the side portions or frames 1 at the front edges thereof are beveledoff, as shown clearly in Figs. 6 and 7, to enable the frames to befitted iiush on each other. The sign-body is closed at its back by ametal Aplate 3, secured at its edges by screws 4 or the like to the rearedges of the side framesf 1, and having at its upper part a transversecleat or strip 5, secured at its ends by screws. Openings 6 6 are formedin the back wall 3, just beneath the cleat 5, to receive hooks, as shownat in dotted lines in Fig. 8, whereby the sign may be secured to thewall of a building or other support, the cleat 5 serving to strengthenthe back wall, so as to permit a secure mounting of the sign upon thehooks.

The top of the sign-body is covered by a raised hood 7, made in apyramidal form and having around its two side edges lateral fianges 8,which are secured by screws or otherwise to the top edges of the sideframes 1, the rear edge of said hood having a depending ange v9 to takeoutside of the back wall 3, as shown in Figs. 3 and 9. Each side portion1 of the body is formed of a rectangular open frame 10, preferably ofwood, having recessed inner edges to receive the transparent ortranslucent sign-surfaces 11, which may be formed of any suitablematerial-as, for example, glass or perforated metal-said signsurfaces 11being held in place in the side frames by means of strips 12, as shownin Figs. 4, 6, and 9. i

The bottom of the sign-body is closed at its front part by means of ametal plate 13, and at the rear part of the bottom the lower edge of theback wall 3 is bent or carried forward to form a flange 14, betweenwhich and the plate 13 is an opening closed by a door or cover 16,hinged, as shown at l5, to the iiange 14 and adaptedto t at its frontpart under the plate 13, which is provided with a turnbutton 17 forholding the door or cover closed, as seen in Figs. 5 and 9.

The lateral edges of the door or cover 16 ICO are made to iit betweenthe side frames 1 of the body when closed, as seen in Fig. 4, and eachof said lateral edges has a channel 18 produced in it by bending overinward the material of which the door or cover is formed. The channels1S are adapted to receive the edges 19 of a plate 20 when slidlengthwise on the door` or cover from rear to front thereof, so as tohold said plate in place, and the plate 2O is bent up at its centralpart, so as to produce two plane reflecting-surfaces 21 21, each ofwhich is inclined from its rear edge down toward the front and towardthe adjacent side frame 1 of the sign-body. Other planereflecting-surfaces are also produced in the hood 7, the lateraltriangular walls of which are formed on the inside of the sign withplane reflecting-surfaces 22 22, each inclined from the apex of thehood, which is located near the rear part thereof down toward the frontand also toward the adjacent side frame -1 of the sign-body. The reartriangular wall material, as shellac, metal leaf, or the like,

to form reflecting-surfaces wherever it is possible without interferingwith the transparent or translucent sign-surfaces.

A lamp-socket piece 24 is secured to the back wall 23 of the hood 7 inposition to receive a lamp 25, which is housed in said hood, so as to beout of direct line with the illuminated surfaces of the sign.

26 indicates the circuit-wires, which extend from the socket 24 throughthe back wall of the hood, as shown at 27, and have their outer ends 28adapted for connection in a lamp-circuit. By this construction it willbe seen that the greatest possible intensity and evenness ofillumination of the sign-surfaces is at tained, and a considerablesaving is effected, since it is made possible to illuminate the entiresign by a single lamp, owing to the arrangement of thereflecting-surfaces of the body and hood, which serve to concentrate thelight upon the sign-surfaces of the side frames 1 by throwing the lightforward and at angles thereupon upwardly and downwardly. Furthermore,the construction of the improved sign is extremely strong and simple andpermits of being readily repaired, cleaned, and put up for use, and alsothe arrangement of the sign-surfaces at angles to each other permits thesign to be read not only from either side thereof, butalso by personsapproaching the front of the sign. It will also be obvious from theabove description that the improved sign is capable of some changewithout material departure from the principles and spirit of theinvention, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood aslimiting myself to the precise form and arrangement of the several partsherein set forth.

Having thus described my invention, I claimy l. In a sign, thecombination of a body formed of side frames and aback wall, a lightingdevice, a cover to close the bottom of the body and havingafasteningdevice, the edges of said cover being forlned with channels, and areiiector held on said cover and having its edges engaged in saidchannels, substantially as set forth.

2. In a sign, the combination of a body formed of side frames at anglesto each other `and converging toward the front of the sign,

a back wall, a lighting device, acover to close the bottom of the body,andareiiecting-plate carried by said cover and havingits side portionsformed into plane reIiecting-surfaces inclined down forwardly andlaterally, substantially as set forth.

3. In a sign, the combination of a body having opposite sides eachformed with a signsurface, a hood over the body, a lighting device inthe hood, and two inclined reflectingsurfaces in the hood on oppositesides of the lighting device, the lighting device being not lower' thanthe lower edges of said reiiectingsurfaces and each of saidrefiecting-surfaces being arranged to throw the light from the lightingdevice upon the sign-surface at the opposite side of the body,substantially as set forth.

4. In a sign, the combination of a body having sides at an angle to eachother and converging toward the front part of the sign and each formedwith a sign-surface, a hood over the body, a lighting device in thehood, a plane reflecting-surface on the back wall of the body andarranged to throw light from the lighting device upon saidsign-surfaces, an inclined reflecting-surface in the lower part of thebody adjacent to each sign-surface and arranged to throw light from thelighting device through the same, and two inclined reflecting-surfacesin the hood on opposite sides of the lighting device, each of thelast-named reflecting-surfaces being arranged to throw the light fromthe lighting device upon the sign-surface at the opposite side of thebody, substantially as set forth.

5. In a sign, the combination of a body having opposite sides eachformed with a sign, a hood over the body, a lighting device in the hood,and two inclined, plane reflecting-surfaces in the hood on oppositesides of the lighting device, each of said reIiecting-surfaces havingits lower edge adjacent to and parallel with the upper edge of one ofthe signs of the body and being arranged to throw the light from thelighting device upon the sign at the opposite side of the body,substantially as set forth.

6. In a sign the combination of a body having sides at an angle to eachother and converging toward the front part of the si gn and each formedwith a sign-surface, a hood over the body, a lighting device in the hoodand two plane reflecting-surfaces in the hood each with its lower edgeadjacent to and parallel with the upper edge of one of the sign-surfacesof the body, said reflecting-surfaces being at an angle to each otherand having their adjacent upper edges inclined upwardly from' the bodyand arranged to throw the light' a lighting device in the hood, a

from the lighting device upon said sign-surfaces, and two inclinedreecting-surfaces in the hood on opposite sides of the lighting device,each of said reflecting-surfaces in Ithe hood being arranged over oneofy the sign-surfaces of the body and being adapted to throw a part ofthe light from the lighting device upon the sign-surface at the oppositeside of the body and a part of said light upon the refleeting-surface onIche back wall of the body, substantially as set forth.

Signed by ine at Cincinnati, Ohio, this 2d day of December, 1899.

'FRANK TUCHFARBER. Witnesses:

J oHN ELIAS JONES, J. D. THORNE.

